The GIG Economy Podcast

Half-Million-Dollar Car, Two-Dollar DoorDash Order, What Could Go Wrong? | Ep 283

We would love to hear your feedback!Follow Steve at ridesharerodeo.comWe trade holiday greetings and dive straight into autonomous vehicle hype versus reality, then tackle flooded delivery markets, “Dash Now for all,” and a bold proposal to cap active drivers to improve earnings and reduce data waste. A Boulder case study shows restaurants reclaiming ordering while still using DoorDash drivers, hinting at a new pathway for fair pricing and better tips.• Waymo’s recalls, school bus failures, and outage confusion• AV safety, insurance opacity, and PR overreach• Data costs from rejected low-pay orders• “Dash Now for all” and oversaturation pressure• Dynamic caps to limit active drivers by demand• Waitlists as a guardrail for fair access• Private rides, catering, and multi-app strategy• Boulder restaurants leaving the apps, direct ordering with third-party delivery• Lawsuits, regulation, and the 2026 legal wave• Community support via Telegram and weekly show cadenceSupport the showEverything Gig Economy Podcast Related: Download the audio podcast Newsletter Octopus is a mobile entertainment tablet for your riders. Earn 100.00 per month for having the tablet in your car! No cost for the driver! Want to earn more and stay safe? Download Maxymo Love the show? You now have the opportunity to support the show with some great rewards by becoming a Patron. Tier #2 we offer free merch, an Extra in-depth podcast per month, and an NSFW pre-show https://www.patreon.com/thegigeconpodcast The Gig Economy Podcast Group. Download Telegram 1st, then click on the link to join. TikTok Subscribe on Youtube

Gig Economy Chaos: Viral Delivery Drama, AI Pricing, Waymo Missteps, and Uber’s Latest Twists | Ep 282

We would love to hear your feedback!Ep 282 News LinksWe go solo and cover a wild delivery sabotage caught on camera, the real risks couriers face, Instacart’s shifting prices, and the future of gig work with AI and city rules. We finish with tipping fights in NYC and why the community keeps drivers sane and safer.• Larry out for family emergency, community support updates• Ring-caught pepper spray incident and platform accountability• Practical safety tactics for deliveries and ride pickups• Instacart’s dynamic pricing and transparency concerns• AI shopping assistants and what they mean for apps• Instacart substitutions, shopper quality and customer friction• NYC tipping prompts, minimums, and policy fallout• Capping active drivers to reduce oversaturation• TikTok algorithms, creator limits and audience reach• Holiday sign-off and schedule notesGo to gigeconomyshow.com for everything gig economy show-related.If you’d like to join the Patreon, go to patreon.com/thegigeconpodcastPlease follow us on TikTok… we’re trying to get to a thousand followers!Support the showEverything Gig Economy Podcast Related: Download the audio podcast Newsletter Octopus is a mobile entertainment tablet for your riders. Earn 100.00 per month for having the tablet in your car! No cost for the driver! Want to earn more and stay safe? Download Maxymo Love the show? You now have the opportunity to support the show with some great rewards by becoming a Patron. Tier #2 we offer free merch, an Extra in-depth podcast per month, and an NSFW pre-show https://www.patreon.com/thegigeconpodcast The Gig Economy Podcast Group. Download Telegram 1st, then click on the link to join. TikTok Subscribe on Youtube

Uber Ad Targeting, Package Scams, DoorDash Hack & More | Gig News | Ep 281

We would love to hear your feedback!Ep 281 News LinksTwo hosts dig into the latest gig economy twists: Uber’s targeted ads built on trip insights, DoorDash account takeovers draining restaurant payouts, porch pirates using Wi‑Fi jammers, and the messy realities behind driverless rides. We weigh security fixes, fair pay, and where AI helps or hurts.• Uber ads tied to anonymised trip insights and rising rider prices• DoorDash merchant hacks via email credential theft and weak 2FA• Package theft escalation with Wi‑Fi jammers and hardwired camera defenses• Uber DUI arrest mid‑ride and rider safety concerns• Discrimination claim against an Uber driver and policy enforcement• Instacart’s ChatGPT integration and conversational commerce• Waymo roadside assists for doors, belts and cleaning standards• License plate reader side hustle economics and feasibility• Culture wars over “real jobs” in delivery and flexible work value• Practical tips for securing payouts, packages and vehiclesSupport the showEverything Gig Economy Podcast Related: Download the audio podcast Newsletter Octopus is a mobile entertainment tablet for your riders. Earn 100.00 per month for having the tablet in your car! No cost for the driver! Want to earn more and stay safe? Download Maxymo Love the show? You now have the opportunity to support the show with some great rewards by becoming a Patron. Tier #2 we offer free merch, an Extra in-depth podcast per month, and an NSFW pre-show https://www.patreon.com/thegigeconpodcast The Gig Economy Podcast Group. Download Telegram 1st, then click on the link to join. TikTok Subscribe on Youtube

Gig Economy Chaos: Dave Ramsey Uber Warning, Hero Uber Driver, DoorDash Scandal | Ep 280

We would love to hear your feedback!We tear into the hidden math of gig work, from bonuses that look great on paper to car notes that choke your margins. A spill, a triple batch, a Lyft perk change, and a Waymo near a felony stop all point to the same lesson: treat this like a business or the job will run you.• stocking cleanup gear for fast recovery in the car• using stackable bonuses to lift weak orders• denying low-value trips and avoiding deadhead• why expensive cars for rideshare rarely add up• Lyft rewards changes and what to watch next• Uber Eats scheduling screens in select markets• multi-apping with two phones without verification flags• when to cancel add-ons like mall drops on peak days• Waymo’s blind spot near a police stop and human judgment• BabyQuip and laundry apps as micro-business playsGo to patreon.com/theGigEconPodcast to get live Patreon bonuses, pre-ramble, and moreSupport the showEverything Gig Economy Podcast Related: Download the audio podcast Newsletter Octopus is a mobile entertainment tablet for your riders. Earn 100.00 per month for having the tablet in your car! No cost for the driver! Want to earn more and stay safe? Download Maxymo Love the show? You now have the opportunity to support the show with some great rewards by becoming a Patron. Tier #2 we offer free merch, an Extra in-depth podcast per month, and an NSFW pre-show https://www.patreon.com/thegigeconpodcast The Gig Economy Podcast Group. Download Telegram 1st, then click on the link to join. TikTok Subscribe on Youtube

He Took The Bag Into The Bathroom And Now I’m Eating At Home Forever. Not the Best Of The GIG Economy Podcast | Ep 279

We would love to hear your feedback!A year-end mix of gig-life highs and lows: walking deliveries in dense cities, the line between speed and sanitation, a CEO clip that aged oddly, and the ripple effects of buy-now-pay-later on DoorDash. We add real life too—sick days, frozen shoulders, and how to keep working without burning out.• viability of on‑foot delivery in dense markets• why bathroom hygiene rules matter for customer trust• managing illness and frozen shoulder as a gig worker• bidets, restrooms and practical comfort on shift• the early Uber Eats confusion and product clarity• Klarna and DoorDash partnership impacts on tips• when BNPL boosts grocery baskets vs fast food• driver strategy for screening and adapting to new patterns We'll be back with a live episode this Wednesday. Support the showEverything Gig Economy Podcast Related: Download the audio podcast Newsletter Octopus is a mobile entertainment tablet for your riders. Earn 100.00 per month for having the tablet in your car! No cost for the driver! Want to earn more and stay safe? Download Maxymo Love the show? You now have the opportunity to support the show with some great rewards by becoming a Patron. Tier #2 we offer free merch, an Extra in-depth podcast per month, and an NSFW pre-show https://www.patreon.com/thegigeconpodcast The Gig Economy Podcast Group. Download Telegram 1st, then click on the link to join. TikTok Subscribe on Youtube